19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
The Blue Lagoon

Located in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon is amongst the most popular destinations when visiting Iceland. It is a geothermal spa that retains its warm temperatures from extraction wells drilled deep towards the Earth’s core. Its waters are composed of 70% seawater and 30% freshwater and are enriched with a mixture of silica, algae and other minerals that are said to rejuvenate skin and body. The silica in the water is also the source of the baby blue hue as it refracts the suns emitted light. You will often see visitors with a white mud mask as they swim these waters. This is a product that was developed from the R&D department of the resort that I s said to cure and heal skin aesthetic.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2019
Date Uploaded: 05.2021
Photo Location: Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Copyright: © Derek Wasylyshen